I have special feelings for the film Gregory's Girl. It was filmed in the town where I spent 6 years of my life, Cumbernauld, Scotland. Cumbernauld was the place where I started elementary school, where my sister spent her last years in school, it's the place where my friends and I would pretend to be the Beatles, and it was where my friends and I crushed over residents Jimmy McCulloch and his brother and their band. It was filmed 12 years after I left but I still recognized some parts of the town.
Gregory's Girl was released in 1981. It is a film by Bill Forsyth, who also wrote and directed the film Local Hero. The film stars John Gordon Sinclair as Gregory and Dee Hepburn as Dorothy. The film won the 1981 BAFTA for best screenplay. The film was dubbed for North American release because someone assumed American's wouldn't understand the accents. Luckily, the DVD features the original language track. I would recommend you listen to the original language track.
Gregory's Girl is the sweet coming-of-age story of Gregory, a slightly geeky outsider. His love is football, but soon he falls in love with the girl who replaces him on the school football team. Gregory at first is very upset that he will be replaced with a girl on the school's football team. However, when he sees who is replacing him he almost instantly falls in love with her. The rest of the film highlights his efforts to get the girl, Dorothy, to go out with him. When his evening does not work out as planned, Gregory discovers a true friend. This film is realistic in the way it presents teenagers. As some have said, it is more realistic that some of the teen films where the whole aim is for the teenage boy to sleep with the girl. In Gregory's Girl, he just wants a date with her.
Gregory's Girl holds a proud spot in my DVD collection. I watch it when I want to feel good and when I get home sick.
Buy the DVD of Gregory's Girl at Amazon
